


Night vision

by thankyouturtle



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU - Comicverse
Genre: First Meetings, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-01
Updated: 2011-04-01
Packaged: 2017-10-17 10:33:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/175942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thankyouturtle/pseuds/thankyouturtle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jason Todd catches his first glimpse of the Dark Knight.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Night vision

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [shoutitfromthehills](http://shoutitfromthehills.tumblr.com/), for the prompt "Jason Todd's first crush".

It’s night, but Jason can’t sleep. Whether it’s the hot, still air of Crime Alley or the soft cries of his mother as she fights her own imaginary demons, his mattress feels even lumpier than usual and no matter how many times he fluffs his pillow it feels warm and scratchy.

He kicks off his sheet for the third time and sits up. A glass of water will help, maybe. He tiptoes to the sink, anxious not to disturb his mother, and gropes around in the dark until he finds a discarded coffee mug. The cold tap groans when he turns it, and his eyes dart nervously to his mother’s prone form, but the she seems to be unaware of the noise.

Mug full, he heads back to his mattress, then pauses. The window is open - not that it’s making any difference - and the old iron fire escape is beckoning him. He’ll have to go carefully if he doesn’t want to disturb the neighbours - and he _definitely_ doesn’t want to disturb the neighbours - but if he balances himself carefully and doesn’t make a noise-

The air does feel fresher outside, almost. Jason closes his eyes and just breathes, feeling like he’s escaped. In his mind’s eyes he can see the streets below; addicts and sellers, prostitutes and johns, small-time crooks making plans. Despite all the people, all the chatter there should be, it seems hushed, and Jay wonders why.

He opens his eyes, and he sees. There, on the building opposite, a shadow, a menace, an ill-omen - the Batman. Jay’s never seen him before, not this close. His father talks about him sometimes, sounding half-scared half-in awe, but Jason had never really thought about him. And now that he’d seen him - now that Jay was watching him watching the people - he wondered why. He often heard people say his name, on the streets, arguing over whether he was a man or a myth or a monster…

Jay blinks, and Batman’s gone. He stays outside until he’s drained his whole drink, but Batman doesn’t come back. Jason quietly climbs back inside and puts his mug away, and lies back down. Then he closes his eyes and thinks about Batman until he falls asleep.


End file.
